Search Climate Insights Directory

The document examines how changing temperature and rainfall patterns will affect crop suitability in Jamaica by 2050, highlighting significant risks for tomato production and drought sensitivity for cocoa, while suggesting root crops as diversification alternatives.

Friends of the Earth Haiti calls for a compensation fund and increased support for the Green Climate Fund to assist fragile economies recovering from climate-related disasters, citing Haiti's economic losses of over US$10bn over 12 years despite its minimal contribution to global warming.

The document details how the low-lying cities of Opa-locka and Hialeah in Miami-Dade County are susceptible to inland flooding and storm surges due to their porous limestone geography and rising sea levels. It highlights the compounding effects of poverty, lack of health insurance, and food insecurity on the resilience of these majority-minority populations. Through resident testimonies, the text describes the inadequate government recovery efforts following Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and the increasing frequency of routine flooding, arguing that economic revitalization efforts must integrate climate resilience to protect property values and public safety.

The document argues that while climate change does not cause hurricanes, it fuels stronger North Atlantic storms and increases their damage through sea level rise and heavier rainfall. It highlights specific risks to US military installations, power grids, and historic sites, while noting that low-income and minority communities face disproportionate hazards and recovery challenges.

Jamestown Island, the site of the first permanent English colony in North America, faces an existential threat from rising sea levels and severe storm surges. Much of the land is less than five feet above water and is sinking due to groundwater extraction. Local sea levels are rising at more than twice the global average, with projections suggesting a rise of up to six feet by the end of the century. The area is highly vulnerable to stronger North Atlantic storms, as evidenced by Hurricane Isabel in 2003, which caused $20 million in damages to the Colonial National Historical Park and threatened nearly a million artifacts. While the National Park Service has implemented protections like riprap and is monitoring sea level rise, some areas, such as a corner of the original Jamestown Fort, have already been lost.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina was moved inland in 1999 to prevent it from being lost to the sea due to coastal erosion and sea level rise. The structure, weighing over 4,800 tons, had seen its distance from the ocean shrink from 1,500 feet at construction to 120 feet by the end of the twentieth century. This relocation serves as an example of the 'hard choices' required to protect historic sites as sea levels in the Outer Banks rise two to three times faster than the global average and Category 4 and 5 hurricanes in the North Atlantic have roughly doubled since 1970.

Annapolis, Maryland, faces significant threats to its colonial-era architecture and tourism economy due to rising sea levels in the Chesapeake Bay and increasing storm surge intensity. The city has experienced severe flooding, notably during Hurricane Isabel in 2003, which caused over $120 million in damage to the U.S. Naval Academy. In response, the city is developing a Cultural Resource Hazard Mitigation plan, including a survey of 140 at-risk buildings in its Historic Landmark District, to preserve its eighteenth-century brick buildings and waterfront structures.

The document outlines a project focused on integrating climate model rainfall projections into flood risk assessments for Jamaican communities. It emphasizes the necessity of flood hazard maps that account for future climate change to support disaster management and climate compatible development. Key recommendations include providing ongoing geospatial data training for local government and parish-level disaster coordinators, and improving cooperation between academia and government bodies to ensure high-quality data informs life-saving policies.

The document outlines a bottom-up risk assessment of seven infrastructure categories in El Salvador, estimating an average annual loss of US$35.5 million. It identifies earthquakes and floods as the primary drivers of loss and recommends integrating these findings into local planning and climate change adaptation strategies.

The document argues that Haiti's food insecurity is not merely a result of natural disasters like Hurricane Matthew or the 2010 earthquake, but is rooted in human policies. Specifically, it identifies structural adjustment and trade liberalization in the 1980s and 1990s—driven by the World Bank, IMF, and USAID—as catalysts that decimated local rice production in favor of cheap U.S. imports. This shift led to rural-urban migration, increased poverty, and a dependency on imports that leaves the population vulnerable. The author calls for a shift from short-term humanitarian aid to long-term investment in Haitian agriculture and the restoration of protective tariffs.

The document details a screening methodology to assess the joint vulnerability of 35 U.S. coastal counties by combining socioeconomic data and climate projections. It utilizes a linear scaling technique to normalize variables—including per-capita income, poverty rates, and projected sea level rise—into composite risk indicators. The analysis incorporates historical damage data from SHELDUS and storm surge modeling for specific case studies to identify areas of high vulnerability.

The report segments coastal Connecticut residents into five groups based on hurricane attitudes: the 'First Out', 'Constrained', 'Optimists', 'Reluctant', and 'Diehards'. It analyzes how risk perception, perceived barriers, and trust in authority influence evacuation decisions, noting that while local official orders are the most effective trigger for all groups, different segments require different interventions ranging from resource assistance to risk education.

The report identifies five segments of coastal Connecticut residents: the First Out, Constrained, Optimists, Reluctant, and Diehards. These groups vary significantly in their perceived risk, actual preparedness, and likelihood of evacuating. While the First Out are the most anxious and likely to leave, the Diehards are the most self-reliant and least likely to evacuate. The analysis highlights that official orders from local police or fire departments are the most effective triggers for evacuation across all groups, though barriers such as pets, health issues, and financial constraints significantly hinder the Constrained and Optimists.

The report finds that most coastal Connecticut residents are ill-prepared for severe coastal storms, with significant gaps in evacuation zone awareness and a tendency to underestimate storm impacts. Survey data indicates that a majority of residents in high-risk Zone A would not evacuate for a Category 2 hurricane without official notice, and 70% of all coastal residents are unaware if their home is in an evacuation zone.

The document outlines the technical approach used by the Union of Concerned Scientists to analyze climate risks at specific refineries owned by Valero, Phillips 66, Exxon Mobil, Marathon Petroleum, and Chevron. It details the data sources for refinery capacity and boundaries, the sea level rise projections based on the IPCC's RCP 4.5 scenario, and the use of the National Weather Service's SLOSH model to simulate storm surge from Category 1–5 hurricanes. Additionally, it explains the criteria used to score company disclosures of physical climate risks based on SEC filings and Ceres methodology.

The 2024 data for Alabama indicates that while a majority of residents (62%) believe global warming is occurring, there is a split in perception regarding its cause, with 51% attributing it to human activities. Support for clean energy transitions and renewable energy research is notable, with 57% supporting a transition to 100% clean energy by 2050 and 72% supporting renewable energy research. Risk perceptions are significant, as 54% of residents are worried about global warming and 61% believe it will harm future generations and animal species.

Climate change risks, specifically typhoons and intense rain, are causing significant income losses for rice farmers in the Philippines' Pangasinan and Tarlac provinces. Future climate projections indicate shifting rainfall patterns that will further threaten agricultural sustainability, necessitating local government intervention.

The report examines the intensifying flood risk in Da Nang, Vietnam, driven by a combination of rapid urbanization, land-use change, tidal flooding, and heavy rainfall. It specifically analyzes how climate change is expected to alter the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events—currently caused by typhoons or localized storms—and increase sea levels, potentially leading to unprecedented flooding levels when coupled with continued urban development.

Rapid urban development in Da Nang's floodplains is increasing the frequency and severity of floods during extreme rain events. Climate change is projected to further increase rainfall intensity, potentially raising the intensity of events similar to the 2007 storms by 3 to 24% by the end of the 2020s. The document warns that construction standards based on historical data, including the 1999 storm, are insufficient for future risks, and that continued expansion into low-lying areas without multi-hazard resilient construction could lead to severe damage and loss of life.

The document identifies typhoons as the most dangerous climate hazard in Da Nang, noting that housing vulnerability is driven by both climate extremes and poor construction techniques. It evaluates three risk-reduction options—rebuilding homes, repairing homes, and building public shelters—finding that rebuilding is the most preferred approach among local households and governments, while public shelters are the least preferred. Barriers to safe construction include financial constraints, limited awareness, social pressures for more living space, and a lack of technical assistance.